UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS POSED IN COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION

Press Release
PI/1247

UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS POSED IN COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION

Kensaku Hogen Addresses Wide Range of Issues, Including Internet, Reoriented News Operations, Radio Pilot Project, Information Centres

While the Department of Public Information continued to place priority on traditional means of communications in some situations, the Internet provided the fastest and most cost-effective means to disseminate documents and public information materials, Kensaku Hogen, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, told the Committee on Information this morning.

He said that the Department was aware of the wide gaps in access to the Internet, although its growth was no longer fastest in the developed world. The Department would need to be prepared to take full advantage of the powerful medium, which represented the convergence of the traditional media of print, radio and television with the Internet. He noted that virtually no new resource investment had been made in the United Nations Internet operation in the last six years.

Addressing a wide range of concerns raised during the Committee's general debate on substantive questions relating to the Department's reorientation, Mr. Hogen said that the entire thrust of the reoriented news operation was to make it more accessible to all regions of the world. Notable cases in point were the four teleconferenced briefings for international journalists to promote the launch of the Secretary-General’s Millennium Report last month, the pilot project for the development of an international radio broadcasting capacity for the United Nations, and the forthcoming United Nations News Service.

Regarding the status of fund-raising for the implementation of the radio pilot project, he said no Member State had made any concrete commitment to contribute financially. He had begun sending individualized requests to permanent missions. A number of United Nations information centres had been actively engaged in following up on the survey designed to mobilize the support of national and international broadcasting organizations for the project.

With respect to the United Nations Web site, he said that while highlighting the extremely high cost of rendering its contents in all six official languages, the Department had recommended what it deemed to be the most cost-effective way of doing so. In order to achieve language parity, it was first necessary to ensure that the level of disparity did not increase.

Committee on Information - 1a - Press Release PI/1247 4th Meeting (AM) 4 May 2000

He noted that the loss of many professional posts in the last decade had made it crucial for the Department to be able to depend on United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representatives for the overall management of United Nations information centres lacking directors. However, integration did not mean the merger of centre staff or financial resources into UNDP offices, but rather a partnership in the field.

Also this morning, the Committee began its consideration of reports submitted by the Secretary-General. Elhassane Zahid (Morocco), Committee Chairman, began the session by asking about recruitment policies and the possible integration of all parts of the Secretariat. The representatives of Egypt, Côte d'Ivoire, Spain, Bangladesh, Iran, India, Cuba, Colombia, Algeria and Liberia also posed questions.

Responses to questions and comments from delegates were provided by: Salim Lone, Director, News and Media Division; Raymond Sommereyns, Director, Library and Information Resources Division; Therese Gastaut, Director, Public Affairs Division; Oluseye Oduyemi, Executive Officer; and Mahbub Ahmad, Chief, Information Technology Section.

The Committee on Information will meet again at 10 a.m. Friday, 5 May, to continue its consideration of the Secretary-General's reports.

Committee on Information - 2 - Press Release PI/1247 4th Meeting (AM) 4 May 2000

Committee Work Programme

The Committee on Information met this morning to begin consideration of the reports submitted by the Secretary-General. It was also expected to hear responses by Kensaku Hogen, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, and several other Secretariat officials to questions raised by delegates during the general debate.

(For detailed background of the reports before the Committee, see Press Releases PI/1242 of 28 April and PI/1243 of 1 May.)

Response of Under-Secretary-General

KENSAKU HOGEN, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, responded first to concerns expressed by Algeria’s representative that the Department continue its efforts to further improve the timely availability of transcripts of information released at the daily briefing. The highlights were posted on the Web page of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General not later than three hours from the beginning of the briefing. Basic news on developments in the United Nations system was made available in written form a few hours after the information’s release.

He assured the representative of Jamaica, who had spoken on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), that the entire thrust of the Department’s reoriented news operation was to make it more accessible to all regions of the world. That was the dynamic behind the four teleconferenced briefings organized with journalists from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas to promote the launch of the Secretary-General’s Millennium Report last month. Other cases in point were the pilot project for the development of an international radio broadcasting capacity for the United Nations, and the forthcoming United Nations News Service, which would be organized along regional lines.

Responding to a request by Brazil’s representative for an additional Portuguese-language post in the Department’s radio service, he said the request had additional budgetary implications that could be taken up by Member States in the context of the programme budget for the biennium 2002-2003. He told the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania that the recruitment process for the positions of a Kiswahili-language radio producer and a production assistant was under way. The posts had been advertised internally, but since no qualified candidates had been identified, the Office of Human Resources Management had advertised them for external recruitment.

Regarding questions about the status of fund-raising for the implementation of the radio pilot project, he said no concrete commitment had been made by any Member State to contribute financially. He had begun sending individualized requests to permanent missions. He told the representative of Japan that a number of United Nations information centres had been actively engaged in following up on the survey designed to mobilize the support of national and international broadcasting organizations for that project.

While assuring delegations that the Department continued to place priority on traditional means of communications, he emphasized that in some situations, using the Internet had become the fastest and most cost-effective way to disseminate documents and public information materials. The Department was aware of the wide gaps in access to the Internet, although its growth was no longer fastest in the developed world. The Department would need to be prepared to take full advantage of the powerful medium, which represented the convergence of the traditional media of print, radio and television with the Internet. He noted that virtually no new resource investment had been made in the United Nations Internet operation in the last six years.

He told the representative of Egypt that, while highlighting the extremely high cost of rendering the contents of the Web site in all six official languages, the Department had recommended what it deemed to be the most cost-effective way of achieving that objective. In order to achieve language parity, it was first necessary to ensure that the level of disparity did not increase. It was essential to highlight the high cost of content creation or rendering content in a language in which it did not exist. Making existing content available on the Web required fewer resources.

The Department would consider how best to link the United Nations Web site to organizations in Belarus dealing with the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, he told that country’s representative. He also assured the representative of Kazakhstan that the Department would pursue its efforts to promote public awareness of that country’s Semipalatinsk region, which had been affected by nuclear testing. The Department had publicized the visit to the area by the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator and organized a press conference in Geneva that had received worldwide coverage.

He expressed pleasure at the interest of several delegations concerning the millennium promotional campaign, which would lead up to the Millennium Summit and Assembly, the most important event of the year 2000. He told the delegate of Japan that additional information on that subject would be provided later, when the Committee discussed the relevant report of the Secretary-General.

The Under-Secretary-General told the representative of Bangladesh that the Dag Hammarskjöld Library had stepped up its ordering of monographs with attention to increasing coverage of developing countries and of languages other than English. However, due to reductions in the Library’s budget, it would have to proceed cautiously with future purchases. He told Guyana’s representative that the Department remained committed to training programmes for delegates and staff of permanent missions. Three days of intensive training would be provided during the next scheduled joint session in June.

Regarding the integration of information centres with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) field offices, he noted that the loss of many professional posts in the last decade had made it crucial for the Department to be able to depend on UNDP Resident Representatives for the overall management of centres that had no directors. However, integration did not mean the merger of centre staff or financial resources into UNDP offices. It was rather a partnership in the field. Resident Representatives were to report to the Department in the same way they reported to the relevant departments on humanitarian, security and other issues.

Regarding contacts between a national information officer and host governments, he told Egypt's representative that the officers established and maintained working relations with government offices dealing with information, communications and education. They regularly provided the government, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with relevant United Nations documents and information, and coordinated daily activities with relevant government bodies. On the other hand, the UNDP Resident Representative, as the ranking United Nations official in the country, conducted business with the host government at the highest levels.

Introduction of Report

Mr. HOGEN then submitted the report of the Secretary-General on the reorientation of United Nations activities in the field of public information and communications (document A/AC.198/2000/2) [see also previous reports A/AC.198/1999/2 and A/54/415], and introduced the programme managers responsible for the areas of the Department’s work covered by the report.

He said the report emphasized the most recent measures taken to develop further the conceptual framework and operational priorities for the reorientation of the Organization’s communications and information policies, as elaborated in detail to the Committee so far.

The main spirit of the report was specified at the outset: to place communication and information functions at the heart of the strategic management of the Organization; for overall direction and coordination of a unified communications strategy; and to develop a culture of communications throughout the Organization. To put those principles into reality had been the basic spirit for the general guidelines for the functions of the Department.

The report covered the areas of policy and strategic direction, new technology, reaching the media, radio and television, information activities in the field, thematic information programmes, building global partnerships, publications and the Dag Hammarskjöld Library activities, he said. They were all stipulated clearly in the report.

As a result of the Secretary-General’s commitment to giving communications a central role in the work of the Organization, the Department of Public Information was carrying out its activities in a more effective working environment. The continuing process of the reorientation of public information activities -- with its emphasis on the use of new technology, the enhanced planning and cooperation within the Secretariat and the recognition that communications plays an important role in policy-making -- had resulted in a higher communications profile for the United Nations.

The Chairman, EL HASSANE ZAHID (Morocco), asked Mr. Hogen if the recruitment policies could be made more flexible. He also asked clarification about the setting up of a strategy of integrating all the parts of Secretariat.

WALID A. HAGGAG (Egypt) said that Mr. Hogen had provided a wealth of information. He asked about the stage of last year’s proposal for conversion to digital television transmission. There had been some concern about the balance between the costs of conversion and the actual benefits.

Commenting on the focus the Department was giving to Africa, and noting the focus the Security Council had put on Africa, he urged the Department to give equal attention to other activities on Africa outside the Council.

BERNARD TANOH-BOUTCHOUE (Côte d’Ivoire) noted that delegations requested more and more of the Department, while the Department did not have enough resources to carry out the requests. How the Department could continue to deal with that situation?

AGUSTIN GALAN (Spain) referring to the availability of the Treaty Series on the Internet, asked what income the Organization was receiving from that operation. Would the information be immediately available to any Web site user anywhere in all official United Nations languages? The income did not seem to justify supporting that policy and, from the Committee’s point of view, perhaps the policies on that subject should be reviewed.

SYED ALOM (Bangladesh) asked whether there had been any feedback on the evaluation of the reorientation report. How far had the gap between the developing and developed countries been reduced?

Mr. HOGEN, said, in response to an issue raised by the Chairman, the Department had to do more with less and that was a reality that could not be escaped. Year by year, the Department’s staff were having to work longer hours and to come in on weekends.

He thanked the Committee for its role in the formalization of additional posts for the Department’s Information Technology Section. Responding to the representative of Spain and to the Chairman, he said he had redeployed a considerable number of people from other divisions and areas to strengthen the Information Technology Section. Two years ago, there were only six people formally working on the Internet service. With the Committee’s renewed support, the section would now have about 18 people. However, redeployment must be done in a way that did not reduce the productivity of the areas from which staff had been moved.

He told the representative of Egypt that the Department was aware that all regions of the world should be treated equally in the information and communications functions.

The Director, News and Media Services Division, SALIM LONE, addressing Egypt’s concern about costs for digitizing television transmission, said that there was no choice. By the year 2005, the industry standard would have been changed to digital. If the United Nations did not convert, the broadcasting organizations would not accept its signals. The money simply had to be spent.

RAYMOND SOMMEREYNS, Director, Library and Information Resources Division, addressing the representative of Spain’s question about generated income, said that the optical disk system, available for 3 years to a limited audience, had generated $200,000. Technical restrictions had not allowed an expansion to a wider audience. The Treaty series, available since March, had generated over $50,000. That service had taken 5 years to develop.

Commenting on the representative of Egypt’s remark about dissemination of information on Africa, he referred to the existence of the Africa Recovery Unit within the Department. It published a quarterly, which was made as comprehensive and interesting as possible. There had also been several studies on the subject published. He would take to heart the representative’s remark about the working group that was studying the causes of conflict in Africa, he said.

THERESE GASTAUT, Director, Public Affairs Division, addressing the representative of Bangladesh’s remark about closing the resource gap for developing countries, said that, although it was a long-term goal, some progress had been made in taking United Nations Headquarters closer to intergovernmental activities, not only in regions with financial resources, but elsewhere as well. Using the technology of videoconferences allowed people from developing countries to be in touch with Headquarters. In Asian countries there was a time lag, and the broadcast would be rescheduled.

MEHDI YOUSEFI (Iran), noted that in section VIII, on thematic information programmes, the report said the Department would be guided by the Millennium campaign. He asked if the Department covered just that one area as a concern.

Mr. HOGEN, said that the thematic issues carried by the Department covered all substantive issues undertaken in the Secretariat. They included peace and security, humanitarian as well as development and environmental issues. The Department would ensure that it made itself available to make its efforts known in promoting thematic issues, such as the Organization’s fiftieth anniversary five years ago and the millennium this year.

Mr. LONE told the representative of Bangladesh that the teleconferenced briefings by John Ruggie, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, had involved 10 journalists from all regions of the world. So great was the interest that there could have been 400 journalists, but lack of the necessary technology had limited participation. Mr. Ruggie had spent five hours on the teleconference.

He said that the forthcoming United Nations News Services would bring to journalists who had previously relied on news agencies more information than they had previously had. Regarding the digital divide, every journalist in Asia now used e-mail and the Internet. It was easier now to use the media in efforts to reach the world, because most media were Internet-based.

OLUSEYE ODUYEMI, Executive Officer, introducing the report on the proposed medium-term plan (document A/AC.198/2000/8), said it was an attempt to show Member States how the Department intended to achieve its objectives and strategic goals in placing communications at the heart of the United Nations and to create a culture of communications throughout the Organization. It was a road map to show where the Department was going and it also afforded Member States, at the end of the planning period, to see what had been done.

He said that the overall objective of the planning programme was to increase awareness of the work and activities of the United Nations through a strategy of developing a unified public image, building partnerships with non-governmental organizations and greater outreach in the field throughout the world, using all the traditional means of communications, while at the same time increasing use of the Internet and other modern technologies.

In the end, the Department hoped to achieve increased public understanding, he said. The United Nations was a global organization with global responsibility. It wanted to generate greater interest in the media and other organizations in the world.

Regarding the library, he said, the objective was to provide a whole variety of up-to-date services. The Internet and other modern technologies would be used with the aim of achieving faster and greater access to United Nations services and facilities. As for publications, he said the Department aimed to make its publications more attractive by improving editorial quality, design and graphic presentation, as well as by using modern technology, electronic printing and other modern means, but again without abandoning traditional media.

ATUL KHARE (India), while supporting the contents of the report, said that the last sentence of paragraph 23.2 was not clear. African countries were in every case developing countries and not economies in transition. It was necessary to focus on the needs of developing countries, and in that regard to focus on African countries.

HOSSAM ZAKI (Egypt) said that the programmes were carefully crafted. However, in regard to “the achievement expected”, he found that the objectives were not precisely stated. Also, regarding using “traditional and non-traditional information tools”, in the section on sub-programme 2, a greater precision would be welcome. It needed to be stated more precisely.

Mr. ALOM (Bangladesh) asked for thematic campaigns about diseases and one for disasters, as those issues were not only a concern for South Asia, but for the whole world.

Mr. YOUSEFI (Iran) asked that, in paragraph 23.8, taking into account General Assembly resolution A/54/113 be included.

Mr. ODUYEMI, addressing the expression of concern by India’s representative over the wording of a paragraph in the proposed medium-term plan, assured him that efforts would be made to formulate it in more understandable English. The delegate’s points on the inclusion of multilateral and disarmament issues would be noted and reflected accordingly.

Regarding comments by Egypt’s representative on the non-specificity of the proposed medium-term plan, he said it had been discussed with the budget division and planned as broadly as possible. The delegate’s concerns would be conveyed back to the division and efforts would be made to see how specific objectives would be achieved.

He agreed with the representative of Bangladesh that the campaigns against HIV/AIDS and to relieve the effects of natural disasters affected the lives of a huge number of people all over the world. As for the question from Iran’s representative, it had been very specific and efforts would be made to ensure the inclusion of the special session on the Dialogue among Civilizations.

RAFAEL DAUSA CESPEDES (Cuba), commenting about references to the promotion of human rights and self-determination, said that the reference should be to decolonization, rather than self-determination.

Submitting the report on the activities of the Joint United Nations Information Committee in 1999 (A/AC.198/2000/9), Ms. GASTAUT, Director, Public Affairs Division, said that during the 1999 meeting the Director of Communications and Special Projects in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General had briefed the Joint Committee. The meeting had stressed three aspects.

First was the strengthening of an information culture within the Organization at all levels of the Secretariat, she said. That new culture should be shared by all specialized agencies. The second important item was the first universal exhibition in the Millennium from 1 June through 31 October in Hannover, Germany, where a United Nations pavilion was to be managed by the Department of Public Information under the topic “Humankind, Nature, Technology”. No expenditure from the United Nations would be necessary, thanks to contributions from private contributors. During the exhibition, the United Nations would show what the United Nations system did for the peoples in the world.

The third item concerned the common strategies to demonstrate the value of the major conferences, such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Bangkok, the Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders and the coming Millennium Summit, she said.

The theme of the general debate of the next session of the Joint Committee would focus on the use of television in communicating the United Nations messages to a broad audience around the world, she said. On the request of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC), the Joint Committee would examine the feasibility of joint media guidelines for the officials of the organizations of the United Nations system. At the request of the Department of Public Information there would also be a general discussion on the publicity campaign promoting the Millennium Summit to see if that could be a common theme for the entire Organization.

Submitting the report on the Millennium Promotional Campaign (A/AC.198/2000/10), she said that last year, the General Assembly, in resolution 54/82 B, had encouraged the Secretary-General to formulate and implement an effective public information strategy to ensure that the Summit would enjoy broad national support. The campaign demonstrated that the United Nations makes a difference in the daily life of ordinary people around the world. The campaign would increase public awareness of work of the United Nations and generate grassroots support. The short-term objective was addressed in the first part of the report. The second, long-term, objective had to do with the willingness to use the occasion to better connect the people of the world to the United Nations.

The short-term objective was implemented in three stages, she said. The first stage had consisted of developing outreach activities at the end of 1999. That message had been widely covered around the world. The second stage had been implemented last month, with the launching of the Millennium Report. The third stage consisted of developing and implementing a strategy for the coverage of the Millennium Summit. More than 4,000 journalists were expected to cover the event. It was the aim to stimulate the presence of those journalists and to provide them with the tools necessary to help them provide wide coverage.

The longer term objective was to position the United Nations as an effective and relevant organization, using the slogan: "The UN Works". By extensive use of new technologies, the Organization would reach out through the Internet, television and posters. By using local and international celebrities, the Organization would get more of a human face. The effort would involve all departments, as well as the network of information centres and the Joint United Nations Information Committee.

Mr. KHARE (India) asked when procedures for the accreditation of journalists covering the Millennium Summit would be communicated to his country. He also noted that the slogan “The UN Works” would be appropriate for next year’s Children’s Summit. He also asked whether video and other materials from the Hannover World Exposition 2000 would be shared through the Internet with those at Headquarters and in the permanent missions.

LESLIE GUZMAN (Colombia), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, emphasized the importance of early accreditation for the Millennium Summit. Regarding the integration of United Nations information centres with field offices of the UNDP, she asked what their role was in development and sought more information on the machinery and channels used in the dissemination of information in the field. What was the UNDP Resident Representative’s role?

Mr. ZAKI (Egypt) said the millennium promotional campaign should be structured to last a whole year. In case there were not enough resources, selective activities should be targeted and highlighted. He said the dominant themes, ideas and issues at the United Nations pavilion of the Hannover World Exposition 2000 should be shared with those who would not attend.

NACERDINE SAI (Algeria) also stressed the need for speeding up accreditation procedures for the Millennium Summit. It should be started as early as possible and special measures should taken to make it easier for journalists.

Ms. GASTAUT said that in the next two or three weeks, the Department should be able to send out information on accreditation procedures. Efforts would be made to ensure that the process was as easy as possible. She added that the millennium promotional campaign would certainly be a year-long activity and would be used to promote the Children’s Summit. She assured the representatives of India and Egypt that the Department already had in mind the establishment of a Web site for the United Nations pavilion at Hannover.

Submitting the report on multilingual development, maintenance and enrichment of United Nations Web sites (A/AC.198/2000/7), MAHBUB AHMAD, Chief, Information Technology Section, said that over the last two years the Web site had grown, but it had not done so at the expense of other media. However, the demands were outpacing the capacity. The Department had managed to cope with the increasing demands by automating many tasks, a process which also could increase productivity.

It was now time, he said, to put the entire Web site on a sound footing. Therefore, a study by outside industry experts was necessary to take an in-depth look at the operation.

MOHAMMED WAEL DEIRKI (Syria) asked whether the relevant invitations for the Arabic seminar in Beirut had been issued, and whether there were statistics available regarding the increase of the number of hits on the Arabic language Web site. The increase of hits would offer an opportunity to update the site.

He welcomed the efforts to transfer temporary into permanent posts, but wondered if there was any way to increase staffing. He also asked if other practical steps could be taken to reduce the gap that was separating the six language sites from each other. Initially, at least, the widening of the gap should be stopped.

Mr. ZAKI (Egypt) said he would have liked a greater elaboration of the proposals in the report. Despite discussions during last year's session, the Secretariat still maintained that the "C3" option mentioned in [paragraph 5 of] the report was the only valid option in taking care of the issue of language parity. He appealed once more to the Secretariat to explain the validity of that option.

Mr. SAI (Algeria) asked whether the amount of $560 million for a one-time investment for 2000-2001 was an accurate figure. It seemed to be too high. He shared Egypt's concern that the C3 proposal was the generally accepted one. The green light for that proposal had not been given during last year's session. Rather, there had been a call for a new explanation of the options.

The number of hits should not be used as a basis for Web site development, he continued. That would challenge the very principle of the multilingual nature of the United Nations. In the long run, that policy would be tantamount to condemning Web sites in other languages. A Web site built with six languages would let everybody find what they needed.

JAMES Z. EESIAH (Liberia), referring to the report concerning the United Nations information centres (A/AC.198/2000/5), page 4 [paragraph 21: Governments providing rent-free premises], asked what was required of his Government before the centre in Monrovia would become operational.

Responding to Syria's question, Mr. AHMAD said that, concerning the seminar to be organized in Beirut, funding for the French portion had been received, but that there was still no funding received for the Arabic portion of the seminar. He confirmed that the number of hits for the Arabic language Web site had increased. A detailed report would be available tomorrow morning. Recruitment for staffing after the conversion of temporary to regular posts was under way, and efforts to further supplement staff were being explored. In some cases, the United Nations information centres had assisted with translations. The gap between language Web sites was indeed growing. The increase of that widening should be stopped before addressing the backlog.

Addressing Egypt's concern about option C3, he said that that option was not the only viable one. There were probably other ways to achieve the same result, but it was a measure that was cost-effective. It would eventually achieve language parity over a long period of time, because of the cost of rendering Web sites in all languages. As more material was put in, the number of people accessing the Web sites would increase. There would be an increase in available material in all languages.

The amount of $560 million was indeed correct at the time, he said, in response to a question posed by Algeria. Currently that cost could be higher. The bulk of the cost represented the translation of 1 million pages of treaties. Without that element, the cost would be more manageable. The proposals put forward would incur those costs over a longer period.

The use of the Web site would increase after more material was made available, he added. That process had been happening over the last year, and access to the language sections had increased, he said. He also mentioned a plan to make all parliamentary documentation available in all languages for a short period. * *** *